


heavy wings grow lighter

by PrettyLittleWings



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Avengers Game Night, Developing Relationship, F/M, Fluff, UNO, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-06-05 11:53:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15170192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrettyLittleWings/pseuds/PrettyLittleWings
Summary: It's game night, and it's time for Bucky to learn how to play Uno. Of course, Darcy is very willing to teach (and beat) him.





	heavy wings grow lighter

“GAME NIGHT!” bellowed Thor, pounding his fist on the table, which didn’t split down the middle because Tony had replaced all flat surfaces in the team lounge with special reinforced wood, due to various Avengers hitting, falling onto, and possibly doing other more illicit activities on said surfaces. “TONIGHT WE PLAY, MORTALS!”

Darcy leaned over Nat to grab a beer. “It sounds like we’re going to be fighting to our deaths or something.”

“I mean, it would probably be more fitting than spending our time playing a game meant for children,” said Nat, scowling as she spun a very sharp-looking knife on the table. 

“Settle down, Romanoff,” said Steve, patting her leg and turning to face her. “I think this will be fun. Right, Buck?”

Bucky, who was sitting across from Steve, looked up from the bowl of Chex Mix that he was devouring. “Um, yes? I agree with Steve.”

Nat folded her arms. “It’s just because you guys haven’t played any games since 1930. We’re basically having game night at the seniors’ center.”

Darcy laughed at that, and when she glanced across the table at Bucky, she saw the corners of his mouth turn up. He looked up and caught her staring, but instead of looking away he smiled for real, making excitement spark in her stomach. Bucky had been coming to Avengers’ team building and bonding activities for a while now, but lately Darcy had been starting to suspect that her little crush might be more than just one-sided. He would catch her eye and smile a secret little smile, like it was just meant for her, and Darcy swore that she could feel the butterflies spread from her stomach out to her arms and her legs. 

“Be nice, Natasha,” Clint drawled, popping the cap on his beer. “After this you can go back to your room to drink tequila and feel bad about your life like every night.”

“Every night?” Bruce’s forehead creased in concern. “Natasha, that can’t be good for --”

“Ok, enough, thank you, Dr. Banner,” said Tony, appearing suddenly in the doorway of the room. “It’s time to play. Our choices for tonight are Settlers of Catan or Settlers of Catan. Oh, you guys want to play Catan? All right, I guess that’s fine. As long as Thor doesn’t steal everyone’s ore.”

“Me, Man of Iron?” asked Thor, pointing at Tony with his hammer. “I would never win through unfair play. All the deception from last time was due to the hawk man.”

Natasha turned to Clint. “Really, Barton? I would have won if it hadn’t been for you.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure,” said Darcy, fitting the pieces of the board together. “I was well on my way to complete domination. Let’s remember who the genius scientist here is.” Bruce cleared his throat and she rolled her eyes. “Ok, one of the genius scientists.” 

“Excuse me?” Tony stopped dealing cards. “Let’s remember that this used to be called Stark Tower. Because of Stark Industries. Because my name is Tony St--” 

“Alrighty then,” said Steve, grabbing a bottle of something stronger than beer and handing it to Bucky. “Take a swig and pass it down, Buck. I think this is going to be an interesting night.”

Two hours later, the once-orderly group around the table had devolved into something else. No one was really playing anymore. When it seemed imminent that Tony would win, Clint had decided to swipe some wheat from Natasha, which had caused a minor scuffle that turned into an all-out brawl when Darcy decided to help herself to Natasha’s sheep. Bruce had given them space and retreated to the couch, where Bucky and Steve now sat with him, talking about some kind of space movie they had all seen. Thor had, as usual, completely misunderstood the premise of the game, but was content to think that he was winning by slaughtering his enemies with the help of his best friends. He had announced his victory early on, drank heartily to their success, and vanished up to his room. 

Now, Tony and Natasha were talking about some kind of new knife prototype while Darcy chowed down on chips and salsa. Late nights made her hungry. Clint wasn’t anywhere in sight, but knowing the man, he was probably sitting in an air duct above them, waiting for the right time to swoop in and exact his revenge on Natasha. Normally, Darcy would have loved to talk with them about exciting new S.H.I.E.L.D. tech, but it was the end of a long day and she was tired. Plus, she was slightly buzzed, and it felt good. Not drunk, but just enough liquor still flowing through her to give herself a particularly looseness and happiness. 

“ . . . we could really improve on the aerodynamic aspect of the weapon,” Natasha was saying, waving her arms animatedly. 

Tony frowned. “But wouldn’t that make it harder to carry? I don’t want to pack on the metal too thick.”

Darcy put the bowl of chips down with a clunk. “Ok, ok, my brain is falling out. No more shop talk. Let’s play something.”

Natasha turned to look at her. “Surely you don’t suggest we play this again?”

There was a thud overhead. “That’s because she doesn’t want to lose again!” Clint’s voice called down. 

Natasha launched a beer cap at the vent; it bounced off with a clink and they heard Clint’s laugh and then his receding footsteps. Darcy sighed. Sometimes living with a bunch of superheroes was so weird. 

“Tony, do you have any more games?” she asked. “Something less complicated and fight-inducing?”

Tony yawned. “There might be something over in that drawer,” he said, pointing at the counter.”

Darcy got up and rummaged through the drawer, finding three Sharpies, a box of protein bars, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and a worn pack of Uno. She held it up triumphantly as she came back to the table. 

“What the hell is that?” asked Natasha, frowning. “It looks like a little kids game.”

“That’s because it is,” said Darcy, shuffling the cards. “My mom used this game to teach me colors when I was little.”

Natasha stood up. “That’s it, I’m out. It’s late and I don’t have time for this.”

“Nat, come on,” Tony protested. “It’s actually kind of fun.”

“Yeah, and I’m actually ‘kind of an adult’,” Natasha replied, grinning and rolling her eyes. “But I’m sure these grandpas would like to play.” She turned on her heel and sauntered out, winking at Steve as she went. 

“What’s this about grandpas?” asked Steve, coming over from the couch. “I’ve told you guys before, I’m actually younger than most of you.”

“Well, thank goodness you’re so young and spry, because I have the perfect game for you,” said Darcy, fanning out a few cards. “Uno.”

“What kind of game is it?” asked Bucky, sliding into the seat across from her, his left arm catching the light. “Is it like the game we were playing before?”

Tony laughed. “No. Not at all. Although, I’d have thought a former assassin would have been better at dominating land and strategizing.”

For a moment, Darcy thought that Bucky would get angry, his mouth turning down and his eyes going flat. Evidently, so did everyone else in the room, Steve looking nervous, Natasha biting her lip, and Bruce taking a step back. But then Bucky laughed, his eyes brightening, and everyone relaxed. 

“I guess it’s harder when there’s no actual killing involved,” he said, shrugging and smiling. “Not enough blood incentive.”

“I have literally never heard the phrase blood incentive before, and it sounds really gross,” said Darcy, dealing out cards to Steve, Bruce, Bucky, and herself. 

Bruce held up a hand when she got to him. “I think I’m going to head back up to my room,” he said, hooking a hand around his beer. “I think the first game made the Other Guy anxious.”

Tony shrugged and grabbed his cards. “Whatever suits you, Banner.” 

“Bye, Bruce,” said Darcy, waving as he left. “Please don’t hulk out and bring the tower down on all of us.”

“So what do we do?” asked Steve, frowning and studying his hand. 

Darcy leaned forward. “The object of the game is to get rid of all your cards. The first one to do that wins the game. You do that by putting a card in your hand on this pile when it’s your turn, but the cards have to match in either color or number.” She paused, watching Steve and Bucky nod and look at their cards. “Or you can play a wild card, which means that you can change it to whatever color you want.”

“Got it, bozos?” Tony asked, shoving popcorn into his mouth. “It’s pretty easy. Even for two ancient popsicles like you guys.”

“Very funny, Stark,” said Steve, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, Darcy, I think we’re got it. Right, Bucky?”

Bucky grinned at Steve. “Only if you’re ready for me to kick your patriotic ass one more time.”

Darcy couldn’t suppress a smile at Bucky teasing Steve. “And the last thing is: when you get down to one card in your hand, you say ‘Uno’, hence the title of the game. But if someone else sees that you have only one card left and they say it first, you have to draw an extra card.”

Steve frowned. “That doesn’t seem very fair.”

“Life isn’t fair, Cap,” said Tony, clapping him on the back. “Alright, let’s play.”

Steve and Bucky soon got the hang of the game, slapping down colors and numbers like old pros. Not that the game was difficult, really. However, Darcy was determined not to let any of the boys win. After all, they were all strong, inhuman, super soldiers (or Tony), and she felt like she deserved to have this victory. Unfortunately, it also turned out that Bucky was fiercely competitive and was determined not to let her win. 

Darcy looked at her cards. She had two left, a yellow 6 and a red Skip card. Thankfully it was red right now, but she could see that Tony and Steve were both getting dangerously low. Tony played a red 2 and Darcy let out a sigh of relief. 

“Uno!” she yelled, slapping down the Skip card. 

Bucky scrunched up his face. “Does that mean I don’t get a turn?”

“Yep,” Darcy replied, grinning smugly at him. 

He pouted, furrowing his brows and sticking out his lower lip, and Darcy felt a wave of heat when she realized that it was actually incredibly adorable. It made him look years younger and far less weary, and it also definitely made her want to bite that lower lip. She took a deep breath and tore her eyes away. 

Steve grinned at Bucky. “Sorry, dude. Better luck next time,” he said, playing a red 5. “Uno.”

“Damn it!” complained Tony. “I was sure you were going to forget about having to say that.”

He looked at his cards for a minute before laying one down. For a moment Darcy was disappointed because she saw the flash of red. But when she saw that Tony had put down a red 6, she grinned. Laying down her final card, she enjoyed the looks of betrayal, confusion, and surprise on the boys’ faces. 

“And that’s how you do it,” she said, dusting her hands off and leaning back. 

Bucky threw down his cards and leaned forward. “Rematch. Now.”

Darcy felt warmth rush through her as Bucky’s eyes locked onto hers. His eyes were blue and intense, and she definitely wanted to spend more time with those eyes on hers. Preferably while Bucky was significantly closer to her and wearing significantly fewer clothes. 

But now Steve and Tony were both there and she couldn’t just ask them to leave so she could hardcore flirt with Bucky Barnes. Steve tossed his cards down and rubbed a hand over his neck. 

“I’m down for another round,” he said, “As long as I win.”

Tony shuffled the deck quickly, the cards flying through his hands. “Don’t count on it, Mr. Star Spangled Senior Citizen.”

Bucky grabbed his hand and leaned in again. “That’s because I’m the winner this time.”

“Let’s not get cocky,” said Darcy, laying down a Draw 2 and watching Bucky’s face change. 

“Mean,” he shot back, drawing his cards and making a face at her. “I’m coming for you.”

Darcy smiled across the table. “I’d like to see you catch me.”

Bucky raised an eyebrow at her, and suddenly Darcy was thinking about Bucky catching her in a way not related to Uno. She fought back a shiver at the thought of Bucky’s arms around her, his muscles strong and his hands steady. Maybe he would lean in close to her, and she would be able to feel his heartbeat against against her. She sighed in her head and made herself focus back on the cards in her hand. 

However, at the end of the second game, it was down to Bucky and Darcy. Thanks to numerous Skips, a lucky Wild card, and strategic gameplay, Steve and Tony were both swamped with cards. 

Darcy laid down a card, leaving her with only three more in her hand. “You’re up, Barnes.”

Bucky bit his lip, which turned out to be sexier than it should have been, in Darcy’s opinion. “Draw two more, Stevie,” he said, grinning at Steve, who rolled his eyes and grabbed more cards. 

“Of course, of course. Why am I even surprised?” he asked, ruffling a hand through his hair. 

 

“Well, at least I get a turn this round. And look,” Tony said, laying down a blue 8, “now I only have nineteen cards in my hand. Watch out, guys, I’m coming for that win.”

Darcy surveyed the scene and analyzed. Steve and Tony were both out of the game, basically, so it was just Bucky she had to worry about beating. The problem was that now she had three cards and Bucky only had two. If the game kept going around, the fact was that Bucky would run out of cards first and win. The only other option was skipping Bucky or making him draw more cards, but she didn’t have any way to do that. Darcy frowned. 

“Having problems, Lewis?” asked Bucky, smirking across the table at her. 

“No, just planning my victory dance,” she replied, laying down a card and hoping for the best. “Your turn.”

“That’s all you got?” scoffed Bucky, raising his eyebrows at her. 

She smiled politely at him as he laid down his card. “Well, if you’re lucky, it’ll be a lap dance.”

Bucky was in the process of putting down his card when he realized what she had said. Darcy stared back boldly, her eyes meeting his, and she didn’t try to hide the desire and the hunger in them. Bucky swallowed, and she saw a slight flush appear on his cheekbones. Glancing away, he cleared his throat and -- 

“Uno!” shouted Darcy, doing a kind of victory dance in her chair. “Draw a card, sucker!”

Bucky’s face changed as the realization of what she had done hit him. “You bastard!”

“Speak nice to the lady,” Steve reprimanded him, but there was no bite to the words, and he was grinning as he threw down a card. 

Tony just rolled his eyes. “Why am I even still playing? We all know that I’ve already lost big time.” 

Darcy played her second to last card. “Uno!” She grinned at Bucky. “Not going to let you play me like I played you.” 

Bucky flipped her off with his metal hand, the shiny middle finger glinting. “What the hell,” he muttered, drawing a card from the pile. 

Steve leaned forward. “I guess I’ll play a card, but I think we all know who the victor is by now.”

“Unless she has to draw a card,” put in Tony. “If I played a Draw 2 or a Skip or something, I could prevent her from winning.”

Darcy glared at him. “You wouldn’t.”

He stared back. “I would. But I can’t,” he said, playing a Wild card. “I’ll just have to gamble a bit. Let’s change it to green.”

Darcy didn’t even try to pretend like she didn’t have a green card as the last card in her hand. Making sure she met Bucky’s eyes at least once, she carefully laid down her last card and triumphantly settled back in her chair.

“And Darcy wins again!” she exclaimed, feeling her smile almost splitting her face. 

“I was so close,” remarked Tony, fanning his impressive collection of cards out on the table. “So freaking close.”

“I can’t believe you got the jump on me,” said Bucky. “I thought I had everything in hand.”

“She’s a tricky one,” Steve said, shooting Darcy an affectionate look. “I guess there’s more to her than hot chocolate and fluffy sweaters.”

“My fluffy sweaters are great,” said Darcy, sending a card spinning at him, which he easily deflected. “Don’t tell me you never wear those fluffy socks I got you last Christmas.”

Tony pushed back his chair. “I think I’m done for the night. See you guys around.”

“Me too,” said Steve, fighting back a yawn. “What about you, Buck?”

Darcy looked at Bucky, taking in bright eyes, messy hair, and slight smile curling at the edges of his mouth. He looked completely kissable, utterly fuckable, and entirely delicious. She tilted her head a little towards the cards and let a smile creep onto her face. 

“You head on up, Steve,” said Bucky, and warmth bloomed in Darcy’s chest. “I just have a victory to claim real quick. I’ll be there in a jiff.”

Steve glanced between Darcy and Bucky, looked as though he was going to say something, but then thought better of it, instead wishing them a good night and shooting a smile to Darcy when Bucky wasn’t looking. 

After Steve and Tony left, Darcy was suddenly aware of how quiet it was. Nat and Clint weren’t arguing. Bruce wasn’t there to interject with facts and figures. Thor’s yelling and banging and general loud noises were strangely absent. It was just Darcy, Bucky, and the gentle silence that stretched between them. When Darcy looked up at him, she found she was strangely entranced by his eyes. They were blue and fringed with dark lashes, and now there was no one to stop her from staring at them as much as she liked. 

Bucky’s jawline was alarmingly sharp, and Darcy really wanted to run her hands over it to feel the line of his jaw and the dark stubble that covered it. He swallowed, and she watched the movement of his throat, wondering what it would feel like to kiss him there. 

“Want to play again?” she asked, her voice sounding too loud in the quiet of the room. 

Bucky reached for the cards. “Sure.” 

“I can’t promise I’ll let you win,” she told him as the cards flew between his hands. 

“That’s ok,” he said, setting her hand in front of her. “I prefer to earn it.”

She blushed a little at that, because it was late at night, she was still a little buzzed, and she was alone with Bucky Barnes. Now she was 95% sure he was flirting with her. When she looked up at him, there was a teasing glint in his eye, and he was smiling at her in a way that made everything in her feel whole again. 

“Let’s see how good you are,” she said. “Let’s play.”

The third game went even faster. Since there was only two of them, the play was fast and brutal, with Darcy cursing when Bucky skipped her three times in a row, and Bucky grumbling when Darcy made him draw four cards and changed the color to yellow. Darcy let herself get caught up in the game, the thrill of anticipation and competitiveness flowing through her. Either way, it was an ideal situation: she either lost and was stuck with a super hot guy, or she won and was stuck with a super hot guy. It was a win/win situation, and Darcy smiled like a cat who got the cream. 

Bucky noticed her smile. “What are you so happy about?”

“Nothing. Focus on the game. Remember why you lost last time?” Darcy clicked her tongue at him. “Distracted.”

“That wasn’t fair,” protested Bucky. “You deliberately distracted me.”

“How did I distract you?”

“You talked about lap dances,” he said bluntly. “And since I am only mostly human, I tend to lose my focus when pretty girls talk about dancing all up in my space.” 

Darcy’s mind blanked for a minute. Did he just call her pretty? Or was he just making a general observation about male behavior and lap dances? Did that mean he liked her as much as she liked him? Or was he just making a polite compliment about her appearance because he was a gentleman? 

So Darcy did the only thing her confused brain could manage. “Skip,” she declared, setting down the card. “My turn again. And look, it’s a Wild Draw 4. Grab some cards.”

Bucky took it all in stride, making a face as he drew his cards. “I’ll be damned if I let you win again.” 

“Prepare to be pretty damned,” said Darcy. “Draw 2.” 

Five minutes later, Darcy was the victor once more and Bucky was looking at her across the table with a slightly dazed smile like he would be content to just sit there and look at her all night. Darcy felt a spreading heat light up her arms and core and suddenly she knew very much that she wanted to know what Bucky’s body felt like against hers. But she also felt a little nervous, because what if Bucky didn’t feel the same way? What if he freaked and punched her in the face with his sexy metal arm? She couldn’t just go around jumping men because they were hot and she was alone with them. Darcy Lewis had more self-control than this. 

But when she looked back at Bucky with his faded t-shirt and his metal arm and his perfect pouty lips, she felt desire. Desire to know more about him, spend more time with him, learn all the tiny details that made him who he was. It was a strangely vulnerable feeling, and she shivered a little. 

“Had enough, Miss Victorious?” asked Bucky, angling his head and smiling at her. “Time for bed?”

Darcy shoved the cards back into the box and began throwing beer bottles into the recycling bin by the sink. “Yeah. Miss Victorious needs her beauty sleep. She’s not the kind of girl who can get by on four or five hours a night.”

“You can’t?” he asked, looking slightly surprised, and Darcy was reminded that there were probably many times when he had been forced to survive on much less. Her throat constricted a bit and she wanted to wrap him up in her arms and never let him be cold or hungry or tired or in pain again. 

She shook her head, leaning on the doorway of the lounge. “I like a solid ten hours every night. It’s why I’m so smart.”

He stepped a bit closer, folding his arms in a way that made his biceps bulge out and made Darcy’s mouth water a little. “That’s a lot. You must be really smart.”

“I am. Maybe if you slept that much you could be as smart as me.”

Bucky shook his head. “I don’t sleep well. Not since, you know, I got back. Like after Hydra.”

Darcy felt a stab of hurt in her chest. “Do you have nightmares?”

His voice was quiet now. “Sometimes.”

“Bad ones?” Darcy forced herself to look up at him, seeing slightly unsettled blue eyes and raw emotion etched on his face.   
“Yes.” His voice was barely a whisper. 

“I’m sorry. I wish I could make it all go away.”

“It’s not your fault,” he said, sighing. “I just have baggage. And I need to work on it. I’m getting better. Steve has me seeing this therapist, who makes me talk about my feelings and write in a journal and stuff. I guess that helps.”

“That’s good.” Darcy was silent for a moment. “You can always talk to me. If you want. I mean, if you need someone to talk to. But only if you want to. I don’t want to-- I don’t want to push things or be intrusive.”

Bucky smiled a little. “I think I’d like that sometime.”

“You know where I live.”

“I do.” He offered her his arm. “Would you like an escort back to your room? I know a super strong, very talented, ex-Hydra assassin who is probably almost up to the job.”

Darcy took his arm and grinned up at him. “What a perfect gentleman.”

The walk back to her room was quiet and smooth. The silence of the Tower wrapped around them like a blanket, and the sight of the city twinkling away floors beneath them was comforting and beautiful. They stood in silence while the elevator whisked them up to Darcy’s floor, her hand wrapped around his arm, which was unrealistically muscled and firm. Darcy wondered if the rest of him was just as hard and sexy, and then mentally rolled her eyes, because of course he was. 

Darcy looked up at him, and found him already looking at her. At first he looked a little nervous to be caught staring, but she squeezed his arm gently and she felt him relax. She could feel warmth radiating off him and he smelled amazing. In that moment she found herself hoping beyond hope that she was the only girl he looked at like this, and she experienced a sudden wave of jealousy aimed at the girls on the receiving end of his gaze in the past. 

The ding of the elevator made them both look up. Bucky walked her down the hallway to her room and watched her unlock the door. For a moment she thought he was going to come in with her, but he rocked back on his heels outside her doorstep in a slightly nervous rhythm. 

“Good night, Darcy,” he said. “Thanks for teaching me the best game ever.”

“If that’s your standards for the best game, you’ve got some pretty low standards,” she replied, tucking a stay curl behind her ear. 

He shrugged, sliding his hands in his pockets and looking like an adorable high schooler trying to ask a girl to prom. “I guess if you get cryogenically frozen like an ice pack for seventy years, you’ve got some growing to do.”

Darcy patted his shoulder. “Give it time, Barnes. Give it time.”

He nodded. “I know. I’ve got the rest of my life.” 

She looked at him, feeling almost shy for some reason. “Yeah, you do.” 

“Which, will hopefully be long and full, not tragically short and empty.”

Darcy rolled her eyes, fighting a laugh. “Good night, Bucky.”

He turned to go, and she closed the door, but not before she got one last glance. Darcy sighed, knowing that she would be dreaming of messy dark hair, worn jeans, and the way Bucky’s eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry, I was having trouble with my computer; first it didn't upload and everything shut down, and then it uploaded three million times and then everything just fell apart. But here it is, and I think we're done having problems :)


End file.
